By Lou Robinson, Renée Rigdon, Lauren Kent, Henrik Pettersson, CNN

(CNN) — As the war in Iran enters its ninth week with no clear end in sight, shipping traffic in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz has been completely reshaped, heavily disrupting global markets and supply chains for oil, natural gas, fertilizer and other essential products.

Before the United States and Israel launched their attacks on Iran in late February about 3,000 vessels typically passed through the Strait of Hormuz each month, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence. Oil tankers passing through accounted for an estimated 15 million barrels per day of crude and other oil product exports, data from the analytics firm Kpler shows, amounting to about one-fifth of the world’s oil trade.

But since the war began, traffic has been reduced to a trickle, with just 154 vessels recorded crossing in the entire month of March, according to Kpler data.

“The disruption is both rapid and unprecedented,” said Dimitris Ampatzidis, a maritime risk and compliance manager at Kpler.

Overall, traffic through Hormuz in the last two months has run at about 5% of the pre-war average, leading to shortages of refined products, especially in Asia.

Despite the dramatic disruption, a small number of ships are still coming in and out of the Persian Gulf via the strait. But experts say more vessels are leaving than entering, indicating that shipping operators are mitigating risks by avoiding the area entirely and reallocating flows.

“There are still over 800 vessels in the gulf, but ‘stranded’ isn’t the right term for all of them,” Ampatzidis told CNN in an email. “Many regional vessels, particularly Iranian and gulf operators, are continuing to operate normally within local routes.”

The strait is about 24 miles across at its narrowest point, which creates a chokepoint that Iran has been able to exploit as it exerts increased control over the world’s shipping and threaten vessels without needing to patrol a large area.

Following a ceasefire agreed on April 8, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi initially said that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be possible via coordination with Iranian authorities. But the next day, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that traffic through the strait had been halted again, following what it said was an Israeli ceasefire violation in Lebanon.

The IRGC has since published a map showing what it called “alternative routes for transit” through the Strait of Hormuz that channel traffic through Iran’s territorial waters and past Larak Island, enabling checks by the Iranian navy and port authorities. The Revolutionary Guard also marked a so-called “danger zone” in the part of the strait that was previously the main International Maritime Organization (IMO) shipping corridor.

“The official IMO lane has been almost entirely abandoned. Instead, most vessels are now using a route along the Iranian coastline,” Ampatzidis said. “At the same time, a significant share of traffic remains ‘dark,’ meaning vessels are operating outside any verifiable corridor.”

Meanwhile, Iranian state media has reported on the country’s plans to continue charging transit fees to some ships seeking to pass, making it lucrative for Iran to try to retain control of the waterway.

As a response to Iran’s actions, the US on April 13 announced a blockade on ships entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas. US forces have directed at least 38 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian por

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) -

CIF-SS Division 2 Round 1, San Marcos 15, Los Alamitos 14: Victoria Aldana scored the game-winner with just seven seconds left to lift the Royals to a come-from-behind win.

The Royals were down 12-8 late in the third quarter before rallying to outscore the Griffins 7-2 across the end of the third and all of the fourth quarter. 

Josephine Grossman scored first for the Royals and it was her 123rd career goal, breaking the school record set by Lucanna Plourde just last season. Grossman finished with seven goals so the career scoring record sits at 129 goals. 

Aldana scored 6 goals and had 6 assists for the Royals who advance to the second round at El Segundo on Thursday.

CIF-SS Division 3 First Round, Dos Pueblos 8, Downey 6: Linnea Clapinski scored 5 goals as she went over 100 goals in her record-breaking senior season. Stella Lawler made 12 saves for the Chargers who advance to the second round and will play at #1 seed Santiago of Corona on Thursday.

Cate 12, ML King 8

The post Girls playoff lacrosse: San Marcos wins thriller, DP and Cate advance appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

By Aleks Klosok, Amanda Davies, CNN

Madrid, Spain (CNN) — 50-50. With just over two years to go, a coinflip is the chance Simone Biles has put on competing at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The most decorated gymnast of all-time has previously stated she’ll be at the Games in “some capacity.”

Now in an interview with CNN Sports, Biles has offered a glimmer of hope to millions of fans around the world hoping to see her take to the floor for one last dance.

“I feel like we’re still at a 50-50 and that we’re still on a time crunch here now it’s almost half of 2026,” the 29-year-old says speaking at the recent Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid.

“We’re going to have to make these decisions pretty quickly.”

The 11-time Olympic medalist is currently taking a break from the sport to, as she puts it, allow her body to recover. She hopes to begin doing some Pilates and yoga soon but stresses “that’s as far as I got right now.”

What then is the key consideration for Biles as she weighs up a potential fourth appearance at the summer Games?

“Mental health plays a big role in it because, physically, my coaches will get me in shape,” she explains.

“I can get myself in shape. We believe in that ability. We’re really thankful that I’m still healthy.

“Mental is a huge thing and it’s a lot of dedication on that because the road’s not easy. It’s long, but it’s still work.”

Realness and rawness

Biles has openly and honestly shared her struggles with mental health since taking time away from gymnastics following the tumult of the Tokyo Olympics.

There, a mental block known as “the twisties” forced her to withdraw from multiple events, including the women’s team final.

It’s a moment she reflects on as being “pivotal” – not only for her, but the wider conversation both within sports and everyday life.

“I feel like it showed the realness to me because everyone thought I was a robot, she’s not real, but it’s like, down to the core, I’m just like you guys. I’m real,” she says candidly.

“It got me the therapy that I deserved, and I’m still currently in therapy.

“I had a lot of help and my core group was really helpful in letting me know that it’s OK people go through this and you’re just human.

“Gymnasts aren’t viewed as people who have weaknesses, and that was the first time that weakness was displayed on a global stage like that.

“Now, I look at it as being courageous and not so much a weakness.”

Supporting Malinin, Vonn

Just as Biles has her support network, she’s been keen to reciprocate that for her fellow US Olympians.

Following the end of the Paris Games and the conclusion of her US tour Gold Over America, she has enjoyed time away from the sport.

Biles, however, was an avid spectator at the recent Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.

She watched on as figure skater Ilia Malinin experienced his own version of the “twisties.”

The “Quad God” was the clear favorite for the gold medal in the men’s individual competition only to see those dreams dashed, falling twice and failing to perform his trademark quadruple axel durin

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) -

Santa Barbara 4, San Marcos 3 (8 innings) Jack Paskin delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the 8th inning as the Dons knocked rival San Marcos out of sole possession of first place in the Channel League. Same two teams will play on Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Santa Barbara High School.

Dos Pueblos 2, Oxnard 0: Shea Liam and Nick Salcido combined on the shutout as the Chargers pull into a first place tie with the Royals. Matti DiMaggio scored both runs for DP which ends the league season on Friday at Oxnard.

The post Channel League Baseball: Dons edge Royals in 8 innings, DP pulls into first place tie appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) - A quartet of pitchers combined on Cal Poly's second shutout of the season and Nate Castellon smashed a solo home run as part of his ninth three-hit game as the Mustangs blanked Santa Clara 7-0 on Tuesday afternoon inside Baggett Stadium.

Sean McGrath pitched five scoreless innings and matched his season high with six strikeouts while Chris Downs, Arlo Pendleton and Luke Kalfsbeek finished the shutout, combining for six more strikeouts, for Cal Poly, which won its fourth straight game and improved its overall mark to 25-18.

Playing its final midweek home game of 2026, Cal Poly amassed 12 hits, reaching double figures for the 10th time in its last 11 contests, and broke open a 1-0 game with five runs on four doubles and a pair of run-scoring singles in the fifth inning.

Held to four singles and striking out a dozen times, Santa Clara fell to 16-27. The Broncos had beaten the Mustangs 10 times in the last 13 meetings between the two teams.

McGrath, who earlier this month earned victories against San Jose State and Pepperdine, both at home, lowered his ERA from 7.11 to 5.93, evened his win-loss record at 3-3 and struck out six for the third time this month. The freshman right-hander is 3-1 with a 1.96 ERA in the month of April.

Downs struck out four Broncos over two innings, Pendleton added a pair of strikeouts in his inning of work on the mound and Kalfsbeek allowed a leadoff walk but nothing else in the ninth inning for Cal Poly, which blanked Washington State 9-0 in its home opener Feb. 20.

Offensively, five Mustangs produced two or more hits, led by Castellon. The sophomore shortstop now has 17 multiple-hit games this season as he added two singles and his fourth home run of the season to his ledger, lifting his average for the year to .351.

Right fielder Dylan Kordic contributed a pair of RBI singles while third baseman Alejandro Garza and catcher Ryan Tayman both had two hits and one RBI. Left fielder Dante Vachini singled and doubled, scoring once.

Garza's single and double for his 21st multiple-hit game of the year raised his career hit total to 234, leaving him 18 shy of the school's career hits record. He has lifted his average 93 points to .360 since mid-March.

Hitting .167 in late March, Kordic has gone 20-for-51 (.392) in his last 17 games with five home runs and 20 RBIs, and currently sports a .290 mark at the plate.

A scoreless tie was broken up in the fourth inning as Tayman doubled and Kordic drove in the run with an RBI single to right-center field.

Cal Poly put up a five-spot on the scoreboard in the fifth. Vachini doubled to start the rally, coming home on Castellon's RBI single. Garza, Jake Downing and Tayman all doubled to drive in runs and Kordic capped the uprising with a run-scoring single to right field.

Final tally of the game was provided by Castellon with his two-out solo home run to left field, his fourth of the year and seventh of his Mustang career.

Santa Clara used five pitchers in the game. Andrew Habermann (0-2), the first reliever out of the bullpen for the Broncos, suffered the loss, allowing five runs and eight hits over 2 1/3 innings.